RALEIGH, N.C., August 20, 2026 – Cushman & Wakefield announced today that John MacDonell has joined the firm as a Managing Director in the Raleigh-Durham region.
MacDonell, a recognized leader in agency leasing in the Triangle, will co-lead Cushman & Wakefield’s existing, market-leading agency leasing team with Doug Cook. Together, they’ll shape leasing strategies for Raleigh-Durham office, life sciences and industrial properties including urban-trophy, suburban, value-add, long-term-hold and new-construction development. He joins a team that last year executed the largest advanced manufacturing lease in the U.S. at the Spark LS campus in Morrisville, underscoring the group's reach across the region's most dynamic asset classes. Over the course of his more than two-decade career, he has been responsible for leasing transactions valued at more than $250 million on more than 750,000 square feet of commercial space.
“Cushman & Wakefield has had one of the most respected, trusted, and prolific agency leasing teams in the Triangle for decades, and I look forward to working with my new colleagues to build on that track record across every asset we serve,” said MacDonell. “With the firm’s momentum and growth trajectory both locally and across its platform, we’re well positioned to continue to provide clients with an innovative perspective that differentiates their properties and drives successful lease-up.”
Added Chad Love, Cushman & Wakefield Carolinas Managing Principal, “John is an exceptional fit with our Raleigh-Durham team in terms of both talent and culture. He brings an ownership perspective to client services that is a crucial ingredient for tailoring successful leasing strategies to the region’s various types of office and life sciences properties and the occupiers they target.”
MacDonell joins Cushman & Wakefield from JLL. He is a graduate of Hampden-Sydney College, where he was a captain on the lacrosse team. MacDonell also earned a Master’s in Real Estate Development from Johns Hopkins University.
